Nine Afghan Army Officers Fired After Soldier Deaths

February 25, 2014 14:55 GMT

Afghan honor guards stand next to coffins as they pay tribute to soldiers who were killed in an Taliban attack in Ghaziabad district of Konar Province, during a tribute ceremony in Kabul on February 24.

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Nine Afghan Army Officers Fired After Soldier Deaths

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Afghanistan's Defense Ministry has dismissed nine army officers for negligence after the Taliban killed more than 20 soldiers at an army outpost near Pakistan's border.

The ministry said in a statement on February 25 that a brigade commander and military intelligence chiefs were among those to lose their jobs.

The statement said the officers could also face prosecution.

Militants raided the remote outpost in eastern Konar Province on February 23, killing 21 soldiers and kidnapping several others.

The attack is believed to be the deadliest single assault on Afghan security forces in months.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

After the incident, Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Pakistan to "take serious action to eliminate terror nests."

Afghanistan and Pakistan regularly accuse each other of harboring militants.